Tuesday, October 18, 2011

International Segment - HUMSAFAR, A Journey you wouldn't want to miss!

Pakistani Dramas have always given us some of the best memories of our lives related to television. ‘Dhoop Kinare’ and ‘Tanhaiyyan’ are two that instantly come to mind when we think of quality television in terms of substance, execution, and direction.

We once again go beyond borders to introduce to you a drama that will lure you in with its depth, its simplicity, and characters that come alive on screen with the narrative.

‘Humsafar’ is a gem of a show that is presently being aired once a week @ 8 pm, Saturdays on Hum TV in Pakistan. It is an adaptation of a famous novel by the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq.

5 Reasons why Humsafar is a must-watch:

1) The Story/Script

Simple, thought provoking, and realistic, the story grips us from the beginning leaving us to ponder on these questions-

Have you ever found yourself torn between your wishes and those of your loved ones?

Do you have a best friend you absolutely adore and cannot do without but are not in love with?

Has a tragedy forced you to succumb to the pressures of life, and not given you a fair chance to live it the way you wanted?

Can you form an everlasting unbreakable bond with the very person you initially did not want in your life?

Lastly, how fragile is that bond you so painstakingly form with that one person you call your life?

How do you deal with these realities and which path do you carve for yourself with your decisions forms the crux of the story.

The story follows the journey of Khirad and Ashar as a couple, who are pressured into marriage due to the untimely death of Khirad’s mother.

Khirad is a self-respecting beautiful young woman living with her Ammi in their humble home at Hyderabad (Pakistan). Her Mamoun, Baseerat, a rich businessman lives in Karachi with his wife, and his son, Ashar.

Ashar is a suave Yale returned well-educated well-mannered gentleman, who manages his father’s business. He has a best friend in Sara, his mother’s niece. Unknown to him, Sara loves Ashar, and wishes to eventually get married to him. With both their mothers approving their union, Sara in her wildest of dreams, could not have imagined the turn the tale would take one day.

Khirad’s mother is soon detected with cancer and calls Baseerat for help. Baseerat brings his sister and niece to Karachi to provide her with the best treatment for cancer. When Khirad’s mother realizes the fatality of the situation, she requests her brother to get Khirad married before she dies. Ridden with guilt at having neglected his sister’s welfare until now, he promptly decides to get Khirad married to his son.

None of them are happy about this union and Sara takes it the hardest having loved Ashar immensely for so long. Ashar on the other hand is shocked at Sara’s revelation, and is torn between his wish to not see his friend heart-broken and his father’s plea for him to get married to Khirad to ease his dying sister’s angst regarding her daughter’s future.

You have to watch the show to see how the story progresses from here on.

2) The Characters:

The lead pair of Humsafar, Khirad and Ashar has author-backed roles. Khirad is someone you will fall in love with. She is shown as an individual who has a strong sense of who she is and what she wants. Ashar is a handsome dude who has his priorities right. Sara is one of the most pivotal characters, strong yet subtle in her manipulations making her an interesting watch.

All the characters in the drama are well etched, each having a role to play in moving the story forward without a hitch.

3) The Cast:

The ensemble cast of Humsafar boasts of some of the talented names in the Pakistani Television Industry.

Fawad Khan as Ashar

Fawad Khan of the blockbuster-hit film, Khuda kay liye, essays the role of Ashar so convincingly, that he IS Ashar. He is tailor-made for the role, and he speaks with his eyes, which is one of his biggest assets.

Mahira Khan as Khirad

Mahira Khan is stunning as Khirad. Her face spells character and leaves an indelible mark on the minds of the viewers and she captures the viewer’s hearts too from her very first frame in Humsafar.

Naveen Waqar as Sara

Naveen Waqar owns the role of Sara to the hilt. She plays it with such honesty that even though she has shades of grey and one wishes to dislike her for her intentions and subtle manipulations, one cant but empathize with her state.

Atiqa Odho, one of the famous personalities in Pakistani television, plays Ashar’s mother.

4) The Direction:

Words would not be enough to extol the way the show has been directed. Sarmad Khoosat has weaved magic without a magic wand. Every scene tells a story and one would not want to miss even a single frame of it. He and his team have proved that a story needs no frills to be told, it just has to be told with honesty, integrity, and dedication to the craft.

An Indian Director's Take on Humsafar:

Waseem Sabir, is a renowned Director on Indian Television who has directed shows like Saat Phere,Remix, Maryada and recently Dharampatni on Imagine TV. Waseem not only bonds with his actors but also connects with his characters which helps him to get the best on screen. He also has an eye for details. Rangmunch.TV sincerely thanks Mr. Waseem Sabir for agreeing to write about Humsafar, the show, from the point of view of a Director who has the knowledge and the expertise to do so.

"Firstly, I would like to thank Swati Ghosh for introducing me to Humsafar.

As Indians, we have known the Pakistani TV industry through shows like Dhoop kinarey, Ankahee, Tanhaiyan, Zeenat and many more. Yes its a limited knowledge, but am sure a lot of us who are hooked on to Indian television wont even know about Pakistani TV because we do not have the access like Pakistan has to our shows, sad but its a fact.

As a person from the Indian TV industry, we believe in one thing, CONTENT IS KING that means writing plays a very important role in making a TV show. Coming back to Humsafar, when I saw the first episode, I won’t deny the beauty of the heroine got me hooked - the simplicity, nude makeup, and simple styling.

About the show, I would say its a very simple show, simple characters, very basic in short takings and as a maker, all I would say is, that’s the most difficult thing to do - Make a simple Show and hats off to the makers of Humsafar. The characters are so real that you connect with them instantly. It has fantastic sound track. It is an old Ghazal by the renowned Sufi singer, Abida Parveen. The scenes are slow but the story just moves with every scene, so you do not get bored even in a long scene because the layering of the characters gets you involved in every moment. There are many scenes where there is not even a single dialogue for like 3-4 minutes but the moments are beautifully captured. It is a must watch show for everyone.

I so wish such shows with so much simplicity and closer to realism are made in India."

5) The Music:

Last but definitely not the least, the background scores that blend in with the scenes and the soul-stirring title track sung by Pakistani singer, Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch sets the tone for a great drama.

Adaavatein theen..

Taghaaful thaa…

Ranjishein thi Magar… Bicharne walay mein sab kuch tha

Bewafai na thi ….

Ke dhoop chaun ka aalam raha

Judai na thi …

This weekly drama on Hum TV, gives you enough palpitations (of the good kind), and recuperating time of one week, before you get ready for another dose of this heart-wrenching saga. The pathos in the story lies in its very own title track that goes …

Woh humsafar thaa magar

uss sey humnawai na thi…

Kay dhoob chaaon ka

aalam raha judai na thi…

woh humsafar tha ….

After the lines of the song have sunk in, you know it’s no one’s fault when it comes to the ways of the heart!

Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we have and we are thrilled to share this awesome show with you all.

47 comments:

i loved it!!!!!oh swati jee thankyou so much for introducing humsafar to indian viewers as well.indeed it deserverd to watch globally who can understand urdu and hindi!!!i am truly touched by your gesture!!! =D

Brilliant work Neera babe! welldone ladies, an indepth comprehensive write up but more than anything, its so lovely to see you expand ur horizons and those of ur readers! as a humsafar addict i wholeheartedly recommend to all <3

beautifully written analysis. Neerja awesome job darling. I fell in love with the show Im already crazy about. :D Im sure after reading this no one can resist the temptation to watch hamsafar. well done <3

thanks neeraja for this awesome review of humsafarand its good to see that indian viewers are also liking humsafar. we pakistanis are crazy about this drama and the characters. a very well directed play by sarmad khoosat and brilliant acting by everyone specially Fawad,Mahira and Naveen.

Beautifullly written i must say !! the way u said abt the show ! im sure any1 who dnt watch the shiw n reads this article would LOVE to watch it !! n abt Waseeem !! this guy is the most down to earth person ever !! i think like Pakistan Shows indian series in Pakistan ! india should start too cuz honestly i knw LOADS of my indian Friends who love Pakistani shows More thn Indian shows !!

about the Title Track !! afta Khuda aur mohabbat this Title is Just WOOOOOW !!

thanks neeraja for introducing humsafar..it is the best in this season..i also want to introduce daam, meri zaat zarra e benishan, dolly ki aayegi baraaat, takay ki aayegi baraat, malal..DAAM is the best among them

Ok must say... Waseem Sabir the guy rocks.... i did try finding more about him throu fb (he is such a kiddo looking guy) who speaks with such maturity , wont deny m attracted to his looks n brains, does anybody know him personally as in people involved with rangmunch. Maryaada such a difficult show handled with such care... Brilliant job Dude, but just a question if anyone can answer he is the director ofg maryaada then how come some other director got the award, or is he that type of director who sets up a show and moves onn.

Thank you so much Neeraja for such an awesome introduction of a Pakistani drama to your country, that`s truly a wonderful act :)

Undoubtedly, Pakistani dramas have always been incredible with thought provoking stories till now, as far as "Humsafar" is concerned, you have no idea how much crazy we Pakistanis are for this show with a beautiful story, excellent cast and awesome direction. Its get impossible for us to wait for the next episode lol. :)

I would love to recommend you to watch "Daam", "Main Abdul Qadir Hoon", and "Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishaan". I`m sure you wont be disappointed. :)

Thank you once again,With loads of best wishes,Your friend across the border, Sidrah Jawaid.:)

i loveeeeeee dis drama.....i fell in lov with the story when i read the novel then it was surprise for me and a big gft from hum tv when i watched darama......amazing storyyyyyyyy...ppl must watch that.....

we are so glag to see hamsafarr..and we are proud pakistanis that we have writers like Farhat Ishtiaq,,and directors like sarmad khosat,,,brilliat direction...u just can bored in every single momoent ov itt...

Sabeen, Sidrah, Ayesha, Arena, Rabail, Ayesha Liaqat, Anita and others, thank you so much for your kind words. This is a much loved show and we feel it an honor to share it.

Sidrah, your suggestions have been duly noted. We will definitely watch your recommendations. Thank you :)

We in India do watch Pakistani shows and we love them very much. But there is a limitation in terms of being able to watch them only on the net. This restricts the reach of the shows. Hope the Indian channels will make way for some Pakistani dramas in the near future.

I really wish you people would have the access to Pakistani dramas too, just like we have..

Thanks for considering my recommendations, and here I come up with some more names which you can also find a good piece of work done by our Pakistani TV industry, check out "Daastan" by HumTV, "Saiqa" from HumTV and "Meray Chaaragar" by GeoTV which is on air these days, all these dramas are also based on best selling novels over here..

Thanks for the brilliant review Neeraja!I'll be sure to catch this on youtube. Growing up, I saw many pakistani dramas, including dhoop kinare and tanhaiyan, but stopped watching them as a teen and while in college. I was reintroduced to them a few years back by a friend through the works of Pakistani director mehreen jabbar. I was completely blown away and have since renewed my love for good tv dramas. I strongly recommend the following by Mehreen Jabbar to all Hindi/ Urdu speaking viewers: Doraha, Malal,and Daam. Neeraja, I would love to hear what you think about these as well.

Really surprised as well as happy to hear that Humsafar has now crossed the borders,in Pakistan everyone is just too crazy to be described about Humsafar, but u know we have such a good collection of Dramas to watch everyday that it become difficult to decide which to watch,like on Saturday Maaye-Ni is also amazing description of the love of mother. Well what to say about Pakistani Dramas they are amazing. I would suggest you people that subscribe to Pakistani dramas page on Facebook and surely you will find some very good stuff to watch.

Its great to know that people all over the world are appreciating humsafar. I was so touched by the story when I read the novel and wished if they would every dramatize it and then one day its out thereee. I must say that the cast is just perfect. Absolutely stunning couple with good acting skills and very well directed. Thanks to Momina and Sarmad ( producer and director) for considering the script and bringing it out from our imaginations into something real. Thanks to the cast especially Fawad (you are THE BEST) and Mahira. Thanks Neeraja for taking out the time to appreciate it in the form of this well written review.

Neeru, thanks so much dear for the whole background and story and intro of the players and the director. I simply adore this show, can't say enough about it ! It is so realistic and well done, kudos to the whole cast and crew !

I really appreciate to Mr.Sarmad khoosat to direct so simple, realistic, emotional and unforgetable drama "Hamsafar". I never seen the drama after 2000, but now i wait for Hamsafar every day counting downd the days for next epsisode.Specially I admire the realistic acting of Ms. Mahira Khan, so simple.

what a review, neeraja! brownie points unlimited!! m just a recently converted hum-suferrer and have to say...m so in LOVE with the serial and the characters... its such a masterpiece.and once again kudos to you for appreciating and introducing this masterpiece with our fellow brothers and sisters beyond borders ^_^ :)

Feeling great to read all the comments about "HUMSAFAR" across the border.Just like many other pakistani dramas,it's best memories will intoxicate it's viewers through out the world for many years.It wasn't only popular in Asian countries but watched by those people also in USA,AUSTRALIA,CANADA,UK and many more countries where it's viewers weren't able to understand URDU.This Drama once again attracted the pakistani viewers towards the superb PAKISTANI dramas, which is one of this drama huge Successes.In the past we had a long list of PEERLESS pakistani dramas who left the outstanding marks on the minds and hearts of viewers throughout the world,but MASHALLAH still we have superb dramas on HUM TV,ARY DIGITAL,PTV, and GEO TV.No doubt we had,have MASHALLAH the matchless creative dramas in the world.

I am from India and i love this show soo much and the title track 'WO HUMSAFAR THA' is just awesome sooo soulful, emotional,heart touching this song gives soul to this show .The background and the simplicity of this show and the acting of the actors ,simplicity of the actors make this show unique.I think pakistani dramas are way better than Indian dramas.Simplicity makes them unique and there realistic approach makes audiences connected.In HUMSAFAR the most admirable thing is that its pureness,no vulgarity, the pureness of love between couples ,not even one hug ,soulful relation between two couples makes them sooooo beautiful Unlike Our Indian serials where so much melodramas,loud background music,fightings, vulgarity long meaningless episodes and songs copy from bollywood.Indian directors should give fresh dramas which gives some moral,makes there dramas simple but soulful,must be work on music of dramas.In Humsafar one thing is that negative characters makes negative without shouting,overdramatic it is really positive .On the other hand Indian dramas full of negativity where vamps of the serials always shouting ,overdramatic,fightings makes them even more negative.At last i would like to say our Indian directors should make good and sensible dramas after seeing humsafar types of drama.taking some inspiration from novels like beautiful movie "LOOTERA" KEEP IT UP HUMSAFAR TEAM.